Certificate of Meritorious Subject Issued to Sim Ji-baek

This is a certifying royal document bestowed to Sim Ji-baek who performed meritorious deeds during the founding of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) from the Gongsin Dogam, the provisional office of meritorious subjects, in October 1397. Sim Ji-baek was one of the 74 vassals who received a nokgwon – a royal document recording biographical information, reason for issuance, as well as administrative procedures, although there is little else known about him. The document, measuring 30.5cm long and 135.0cm wide, is composed of three contiguous pages of mulberry paper. The first three lines that list the name of the issuing office, and the title and name of the recipient, along with the signatures of the officials at the end are written in ink, whereas everything else is printed in wooden type. It is remarkable that the idu system, an old Korean language system taking Chinese character, on the wood blocks offers its literary style and historic records in the 15th century.